Gaskets are used to provide a relatively leak-proof seal between two matched machine parts or other devices. Typically, the two parts include respective flat surfaces which are disposed adjacent to one another during use. A gasket is interposed between the matched surfaces of the two components and compressed between them to prevent the escape of a gas or fluid. Many different structures are known in the art for gaskets of this type.
A particular problem arises at gasket intersections that are disposed at an angle relative to one another, such as is formed with a front cover and oil pan or rocker cover and oil pan, and other T-joints. Prior art attempts at securing a leak-proof seal have either required the use of a sealant or caulking medium, such as one-part room temperature vulcanization (RTV) sealant, or have used key and hole arrangements having flat surfaces.
Each of these solutions has presented problems. A sealing or caulking medium is costly, messy, difficult to service, is a source of manufacturing error and adversely affects the rest of the seal by overfilling the adjacent trench in which the gasket sits. Key and hole arrangements having flat surfaces are prone to failure because of the small amount of relative shift allowed in the mating components. Key and hole arrangements, which include flat surfaces, do not properly engage under certain lateral tolerance stack-up conditions, resulting in less than desirable interlocking and an insufficient seal. Further, key and hole arrangements to date have been linear or one-dimensional and have not provided an RTV-less seal across two dimensions.
In view of the prior art attempts, a long felt need continues to exist for a gasket assembly which provides a sufficiently leak-proof seal at gasket intersections without the use of sealant or caulking medium.